NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Junior co-captain Tyler Piacentini (South Weymouth, Mass.) scored with 8.1 seconds left to lift the Norwich University men's ice hockey team to a 1-0 win over Southern Maine on Saturday afternoon at Kreitzberg Arena in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action.

Piacentini scored his seventh goal of the season after corralling a loose puck in the slot, turning and firing a wrist shot into the left corner of the net to beat USM goalie Dylan Pietrangelo for the game's lone goal.

Pietrangelo had 35 saves for USM, while sophomore goalie Braeden Ostepchuk (Lethbridge, Alberta) picked up his fourth shutout of the season with a 19-save performance.

Norwich (12-6-0, 7-4-0 NEHC) picked up a crucial two points after losing to UNE 4-3 last night in its effort to lock up a home-ice game for the NEHC Quarterfinals.

The Cadets outshot USM 17-6 over the third period and the overtime session.

Both teams had great scoring chances in the second period with Dean Niezgoda (Brewster, Mass.) getting stoned on a breakaway after splitting the defense. USM countered with a breakaway by Blue Hayler that Ostepchuk got a leg pad on to turn away.

Norwich's Nick Pichette had the best scoring opportunity of the third period, ripping a wrist shot toward the top right corner, but Pietrangelo got a glove on it to deflect it away.

Pichette also had a great chance in overtime just 10 seconds in, but his wrist shot landed right in the chest of Pietrangelo.

Norwich returns to action next weekend, when it travels to NEC for another NEHC contest at 7 p.m. The Cadets face Saint Anselm on Saturday at 4 p.m.